More rent-seeking

A top police officer urged ministers on Tuesday to protect forces from the worst of the public spending cuts so they can deal with potential social and industrial unrest arising from them.

Chief Superintendent Derek Barnett, president of the powerful Police Superintendents' Association, warned of "consequences" in a speech he is due to deliver at the body's annual conference in Cheshire on Wednesday.

So, one bunch of corrupt thugs who regularly break the law and intimidate law-abiding citizens are warning us about another bunch of corrupt thugs who regularly break the law and intimidate law-abiding citizens.

Fwiw the Police in my area are fantastic. They avoid getting distracted by minor crimes like nicking mountain bikes, mugging people for mobile phones, beating beating people up, stabbings and shootings etc. Instead they focus on the really bad stuff like peeing behind a hedge at one in the morning, being heard to mutter something mildly offensive to someone, or blocking the road and getting arsy with anyone who asks them politely to explain why the road is closed.

Admittedly they get the odd thing wrong. For example, they routinely park on double yellow lines whilst buying their sandwiches in Tescos. But that's just being so focused on being Great Policepersons they make the occasional oversight. It's like the proverbial doctor who is a great surgeon but a poor driver. And it's true, when a concerned member of the public remonstrated with them once they lied about filming the police being a crime.

But on the whole we have a fantastic police force and I for one will be campaigning wholeheartedly for their funding to be protected.